Packaging machine



1 3- s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR I 5 RI BY CMQM ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1943.

R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 14, 1959 134 142' I I]; g ,1 II 4 Z :5 :11? 106 j i 114 12a. 4" 52 54 13M I7 128 o O I 172 o INVENTOR 124 5*..1 f. ALMA z 1.16 BY ATTORNEY Aug. 1?, 1943.

s. R. HOWARD PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet S @7721 if; y

INVENTOR cluw w' ATTORNEY Au 17, 1943. R. HO 2,327,267

I PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 14, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR BY i (M 5 cmcwq ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATESVPATENT OFFICE PACKAGING MACHINE Stanley R. Howard, Milton, Mass, assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass, a corporation of=Massachusetts Application July 14, 1939, Serial No. 284,409

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a packaging machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packaging machine in which provision is made for producing a lining bag, for filling and closing the lining bag, insorting the filled and closed lining bag into a carton and thereafter closing and sealing the carton to produce a heat sealed lined package in a rapid, economical .and practical manner.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the packaging machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this. specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic plan view of the complete packaging machine; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism for transferring the lining bag from the bag making spider to the bag filling and closing spider as viewed in the direction of the arrows 2--2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of the bag filling mechanism; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, illustrating the bag closing and sealing station; Fig; 5 is a detail view in front elevation of the bag closing mechanism shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the parts in a different position of operation; Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the heat sealing mechanism to be referred to; Fig. 8 is a .view in side elevation as viewed in the direction of the arrows 8-8 in Fig. 1, illustrating the mechanism for inserting the filled and closed Referring now to the drawings, the different features of the invention have for purposes of illustration been shown as embodied in a complete machine in which provision is made for forming the lining bag as by wrapping a blank of the lining material, preferably a wax coated paper, about a forming block and for transferering the bag from the forming block to a. pocket forming part of a movable endless conveyor. The latter functions to present the .bags to successive operating mechanisms including filling mechanism by which the commodity to be packaged is introduced into the bag and thereafter provision is made for closing the top of the bag.

lining bag into a carton on the carton closing and sealing spider, and Figs. 9, to 12 inclusive are perspective views illustrating the various steps in the production of the closed and sealed lining bag, Fig. 12 showing the completed package.

In general, the present invention contemplates the production of an improved unitary package in which the lining bag is formed, filled and closed or sealed, prior to inserting the bag into the carton and for thereafter closing and sealing the top flaps of the carton to producethe completed package. mercial packaging machines of which I am aware, in the successive steps in the operation of the machine, the procedure followed has been to insert the lining into 'the carton first before filling and closing the mouth of the lining, which procedure has proved unsatisfactory in' many instances because of obstruction difllculties encountered in practice by reason of the carton Heretofore in prior com-' flaps, during the operationof closing and seal ing the mouthof the lining.

The filled and closed lining bag is then presented to a subsequent station where provision is made for introducing the bag into a carton. Provision is made for feeding collapsed cartons from a stack or supply thereof and for opening successive cartons and delivering them into carton holding devices forming part of a second movable cndless conveyor. The latter conveyor is operative to present successive cartons to a position in alignment with the filled lining bag and the latter is introduced into the carton and thereafter as the carton with the closed bag therein is moved to a subsequent station, provision is made for closing the top and bottom flaps of the carton and for sealing the same. The completed packages are thereafter automatically discharged from the machine, preferably into the usual drying apparatus which has provision for retaining the closed flaps in their operative position until the adhesive or glue becomes set. All of the various mechanisms are preferably driven from common driving means and are arranged to operate in synchronism with each other to the end that the entire operation may be performed in an automatic, rapid and simplified manner.

The illustrated and preferred embodiment of now upon the market, such as is illustrated in the United States patent to Hesser, No. 1,020,- 821, dated March 19, 1912. As herein shown, such mechanism may include an operating station indicated generally at [8 in which provision is made for cutting off a predetermined 'length of bag forming material drawn from a supply roll 20 thereof by feed rolls 22 and for feeding the blank into operative position beneath the forming block I4. Provision is also made for applying strips of adhesive 24 to the web of material as it passes the adhesive applying roller 26 prior to being cut to length by the reciprocatory knife 28 and advanced into the position shown in Fig. 1. The cut-oi! blank is positioned between guides 30, 32 which form part of a folding mechanism adapted to cooperate with the forming block I4 to wrap the blank I6 about the block, as clearly shown and described in the patent to Hesser, above referred to. A top presser member 34, see Fig. 2, is then arranged to descend to firmly press the seam formed by the overlapping and adhesively secured edges of the blank.

The spider I2 is thereafter rotated to present the forming block I4 to an operating station indicated generally at 36 where the extended ends of the blank are folded upon the block to form. the bottom of the bag, and, as herein shown, this operation is performed by two pairs of folder plates, one pair 38, 40 being. arranged to rock horizontal- .ly, and the second pair 42,- being arranged to rock vertically. An end presser 44 is then operated to firmly press the folded bottom of the bag against the block to set the glue. An additional presser 46 isprovided at the next operating station whereupon the spider is rotated to present the forming block to the station indicated generally at 50 where the bag is removed from the forming block and transferred to a pocket 52 carried by an intermittently rotatable spider 54 forming part of the bag filling and closing sec= tion of the machine, indicated generally at 56, as will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanism for removing the bag 8 from the horizontally disposed forming block I4 and for presenting the bag in an upright position to the pocket 52 may comprise bag stripping fingers 60 carried by a slide member 52 arranged to be reciprocated upon a bar 64. The stripping fingers B are rockingly mounted upon the slide member and are adapted to 'yieldingly engage the edges of the open end of the bag while the latter is disposed upon the block and to slide the bag off the block and onto a platform 66. The slide member may be reciprocated through connections from a earn $58 mounted upon a cam shaft iii. A cam roller 52,

- carried by one arm I4 of a bell crank, cooperates with the cam 58 and a second arm 76 is connected to the slide member 82 by a link it. A spring w is arranged to urge the roller l2 against its cam 68.

In the operation of the machine, the lining bag 8, now freed from the block id and resting upon the platform as, against guide rail at, is arranged to be pushed oil. the platform by a suc ceeding bag being removed from. the next forming block I4. The bag thus removed from the platform is arranged to slide onto an angularly disposed transferring arm 85, the bottom oi? the bag resting upon curved supporting rails 88, as-

clearly shown in Fig. 2. The transferring arm is mounted free upon a shaft so and is arranged to transfer the bag from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 into the pocket when rocked through connectionsdncluding a closed cam 92 cooperating with the roller 9%, carried. by a forked member 96 which is arranged to slide over the shaft id. The forked'memher is connected by a link as to a lever I108 fast uponthe rocker shaft so upon which the transfer arm is mounted. The pocket 62 may comprise amiss I02 which embrace the sides of the bag, and, when the spider 54 is rotated, the bag slides 01! the supporting rails 88 and onto bottom supporting rails I04. The bag is retained in the pocket by an outer rail I06.

At the next station of operation, indicated generally at I08, the bag is filled with the commodity to be packaged by any usual or preferred form of filling mechanism, herein shown as comprising a feeding hopper III) which deposits a predetermined quantity of goods into the bag. In order to feed the goods from the hopper into the lining bag, a rotatable worm II2 is provided which extends into a funnel H4 at the mouth of the hopper. The rotations of the worm II2 are controlled from a cam shaft IIS and the worm is rotated through a rack I I8 and pinion I 20. The rack H8 is connected to one arm I22 of a bell crank and the second arm I24 carries a cam roller I26 which cooperates with a cam I28 fast on the cam shaft H6. The pinion I20 forms part of the usual pawl and ratchet mechanism which permits the pinion to turn freely in one direction and to rotate the pinionshait I30 when turned in the opposite direction and the driven member of such mechanism is formed integrally with a sprocket I32 connected by a chain I34 to a sprocket I36 fast on a shaft I38. A bevel gear I40 also fast on the shaft I 38, cooperates with a bevel gear I42 mounted at the top of the vertical worm I I2.

In the operation of the machine, the filled bag is now presented to station I44 where provision is made for making a bellows fold in the sides of the bag and for closing the mouth of the bag, preferably by heat sealing, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Referring now to Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, the bellows fold mechanism preferably comprises a pair of movable fingers I46, I48 which, in cooperation with a relatively stationary guiding member I59, are adapted to descend from an elevated position into operative engagement with the mouth of the bag and upon subsequent movement of the fingers to move the narrow sides of the bag inwardly to form a bellowsshaped fold. As herein shown the fingers I46, I48 are pivoted at I52, I

54 on the ends of levers 56, I 58 and are arranged. to operate in unison by intermeshing segments [68, I62 provided on the swinging levers 856, I58. The levers I56, I58 are pivoted at 664, I66 in a sliding bracket I 68 which is secured to a vertical slide I10. Springs H2 attached to the segments Hill,v 62 at one end and to pins il4, ll5 secured to the slide F68 at the other end, tend to hold the levers I56, I58 in their outward position as shown in Fig. 5 and extended lugs H8, 88% on the levers, which butt together when the levers are spread apart, serve to limit the outward movement of the levers i 58, H58. Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the levers E56, E58 are arranged to be rocked inwardiy through connections including a rocking cam piece Ills which cooperates with a roller I8I mounted on one of the levers I 58 when the folding unit is lowered to form the folds, as will be described. The cam piece is carried by a lever 583 secured to a shaft 84 mounted in a bracket E86 secured to the machine frame. As herein shown the shaft is rocked from a cam 588 last on the cam shaft see, the periphery of the cam working on a cam r ller E82 attached to one arm lid of a belt crank. A connecting rod ISG is pivotally attached to the second arm 98 of the belt crank rocks the shaft E84 through swivel connections on end of a lever 232 secured to the shaft I84. A spring 204 is connected to the lever I98, one end of said spring'being attached to the machine frame and operates to keep the cam roller I92 on the surface of the cam I88. The bell crank is pivotally mounted on the rocker shaft 206.

Provision is made for lowering the folding unit into operative relation to the bag and for raising the unit to allow the liner to pass on to the next station and as above stated the folding unit is mounted on a Vertical slide I which is arranged to slide in a bracket 208 secured to a supporting plate 2|!) mounted on the machine frame. The slide is operated from a cam 242 fast on the cam shaft I90 through a cam roller 2M attached to one arm 2I5 of a bell crank piv oted at 206. A connecting-rod 2I8 is pivotally connected to the second arm 222 of the bell crank and operates the slide 110 through a pivotal connection 229 secured to the lower end of the slide.

A spring 22d is connected to the arm 222 which operates to keep the roll 2 against the cam M2. In operation when the filled lining bag comes to rest at station I44 the folding unit is lowered. and when the folding unit has descended into operative engagement with the bag the cam piece H9 is rocked and the latter, through'the connections described, causes the fingers M6, M3 to draw the narrow sides of the bag inwardly between extended forming members 228, 238 secured to the guide ifiil, see Figs. 4'; and S. The fingers i l-ii, M8 are normally held in a vertical positionby the attached springs 232, 23fl, and as the fingers are drawn inwardly against the narrow sides of the bag, the springs allow the fingers to yield and form a natural fold and to thereby produce in effect a bellows shaped fold 236 as shown in Fig. 10.

After the bellows fold is made in the mouth of the bag, as above described, the folding unit is again raised up out of the way and provision is made, as herein shown, for pressing the folded mouth portion together and for applying heat, in order that the wax coatings of the wax impregnated paper may be fused together to form a substantially moisture proof seal for the mouth of the bag. As herein illustrated, the presser members 2%, 2&2 are carried by arms 2M, 2% respectively, arranged to be rocked simultaneously by the cooperating segments 258, 2%. Each presser member maybe provided with an electric heating coil 252 which may bewired to supply lines in any suitable manner, not shown. The presser members are, also pivotally and yieldably mounted upon the rocker arms in order to permit the members to align themselves in par= allel relation when they are brought together against the mouth of the bag, as clearly shown in Fig. '7. The arms 2%, 248 are arranged to be operated at the proper time in the operation of the machine by a earn 2%, fast on the cam shaft flail, and through connections between the cam and the arms including a cooperating cam roller 2% carried by a forked member 258, the latter being connected by a link 260 to an am 282 fast on the lower end of a vertical shaft 26 upon which the arm 2% is secured. Thus, the mouth of the bag is provided with a folded and sealed portion MI and the bag is now moved to the next station of operation, indicated generally at 265 where provision is made for removing the sealed bag from the pocket 52 and for inserting the bag into a carton previously moved into a position to receive it. as will be described.

Referring now to Fig. 1, as herein shown, the

carton 268 is held in a holding member 210, a. plurality of which. are carried by an intermlt tently rotatable spider 212 forming part of the cartoning section of the machine, indicated generally at 214. The carton holding and gripping members 210 are adapted to receive opened cartons from carton feeding mechanism, indicated generally at 216 and to operatively support the carton with its top and bottom flaps in open condition. Such carton feeding mechanism 215 may comprise any usual or preferred form of carton feeding mechanism now upon the market, such as is illustrated in the United States patent to Robinson No. 1,599,248, dated'September .7, 1926,

and such mechanism essentially comprises a magazine formed by guide rails 218, 280 between which a supply of collapsed cartons is maintained in a vertical position. Provision is made, during the operation of the machine, for inserting the usual knife member 282 to within the endmost collapsed carton and withdrawing it from the stack, opening it and introducing it between the opened clamping jaws of one of the carton holding devices 2m upon the rotary spider or conveyor 272. Inasmuch as the details of the carton feeding mechanism per se form no part ill of the present invention, reference is made to the foregoing United States Patent No 1,599,248 for a further and more complete disclosure and description thereof.

In the illustrated machineieach carton holding device he includes two gripping members 284, 286 pivotally mounted in a bracket 288 secured to the spider M2. The arms are connected by a coil spring 299 which normally tends to urge them into carton engaging position. Provision is made for opening and closing the holding members at the proper time in the operation of the machine, and to this end, as herein shown, the pivotally mounted gripping members 281, 286, are provided with inwardly projecting arms 292, 2% respectively which are arranged to overlap at their ends, and which are adapted to be moved outwardly from the spider by the engagement of a roller 2% with a stationary cam piece 298 secured to the machine. The roller 296 is carried by an arm 3% operatively connected to the gripper member 2M. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the cam piece 293 extends from the carton discharging station, indicated generally at 3302 to the carton receiving station 2%, so that in operation, through the connections described, when succeeding carton holding devices 210 arrive at the carton discharging station the gripping members are spread open to release a completed carton and remain intheir opened position until they have received a carton at station 216, whereupon, at the start of the movement of the spider 212, the roller 296 will ride ofi the cam piece 298 to close the gripping members upon the carton. The carton is thusheld when it arrives at the next station of operation to receive the filled and closed bag.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8, when the filled and closed bag arrives at station 265 it has ridden oi the bottom supporting rails I04 and is loosely held between the arms I02 of the pocket 52 in alignment with the carton 30! supported in the holding member 210. The bag may, at this point, fall by gravity into the carton 30I below, being guided by a guide member 304 into the carton, or, the bag may be plunged into the carton by a reciprocable plunger 3%. In either event, the plunger 3% is caused to descend in order to force the bag down to the full depth of the carton and to lay down the sealed fold 26H as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The plunger 306, as herein shown, is guided vertically in a bracket 3% and is reciprocated in timed relation to the operation of the machine through connections including a cam 5 l8 fast on the cam shaft 76, a cooperating roller 352 carried by a lever 33, a link MB connecting the lever 3 Hi to an arm 3m, and an arm 320 connected by a link 322 to the plunger rod 82 3. A spring 326 is provided to hold the roller 392 against its cam3ii3.

lhe carton with its filled and closed lining bag inserted therein is now movedto the adhesive applying station, indicated generally at 3353. During its travel from station 2&5 to station 532, provision is made for tucking in thet'op and bottom end flaps of the carton and'ior spreading the side flaps in preparation for receiving the adhesive. It will be observed that the carton is supported at its bottom by a supporting rail 338 with a the side flaps extended and the end flaps folded in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8 during its travel from the carton receiving station are to the bag inserting station. However, when the carton arrives in the flap tucking position the rail is cut away suiiiciently to permit the end flaps to extend downwardly, the carton still being held by the holding member 270. As it slides off the end of the bottom supporting rail 33!, the top and bottom of the carton are immediately engaged, as herein illustrated, by two curved fingers 332, one disposed beneath the other and spaced apart and which ar arranged to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction to swing in behind the rear of the package and to lay down one rear end flap upon the top of the bag and the other rear end flap against the bottom of the bag. The rotating fingers 332 are fast upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 334 to be operated through connections from the cam shaft I90 including cooperating spur gears 336, 338 and bevel gears 340, 342. In the operation of the machine, as the package is advanced the top and bottom front end flaps engage upper and lower fixed curved rails 3M which lay down the front end flaps and spread the top and bottom side flaps preparatory to receiving the adhesive. During this movement, the rotating fingers 332 cooperate to hold down the both front and rear end flaps have passed under the rails 3M.

The carton now comes to rest at the adhesive applying station 330 where adhesive is applied to the extended flaps in any usual or preferred manner by movable applying rollers supplied with adhesive from a supply roll 346 which may be driven from the cam shaft iliii through sprockets 348, 350 connected by a chain 352. Since the adhesive applying mechanism of itself forms no part of the present invention, it is thought that further description thereof is unnecessary.

The carton isnow advanced to station 352 where provision is made for ejecting the carton from the machine and for projecting th carton between a series of top and bottom pressure rolls 354. In' its travel from station 330 to station 302, the top and bottom side flaps of the carton are folded over, one upon the other to close and seal both ends of the carton by fixed guide rails 356, 358. The package may be ejected from the holding member 210 by a reciprocatory finger 380 which is securedto a slide member 362 arranged to slide on a bar 364. The slide finger is reciproand are arrangedrear end flaps until cated through connections from a cam roll 369 carried by a two armed lever 370, link 372, arms 313, 316 and a link 378. When the holding memher 278 arrives at station 302, the gripping membars are opened by engagement with the cam piece 293 as previously described and the ejecting finger 360 which is positioned behind the carton at this time, is operated to project the carton between th pressure'rolls 354 forming part of the usual. dryer, to firmly set the adhesively sealed flaps.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the drives to the various mechanisms and to the intermittently operated spiders of the different sections of the unitary packaging machine, as herein shown, comprises a clutch pulley 380 loosely mounted upon a short shaft 382 which may be driven from an electric motor, not shown. The pulley 380 is detachably engageable with a pinion 2-84 fast upon the shaft 382 which is arranged to mesh with a gear 38% fast upon the end of the elongated drive shaft H6. The bag forming spider l2 has intermittent motion imparted to it through 2. Geneva mechanism of usual construction comprising a driver 388, fast upon a shaft 398, and a fourpoint Geneva spider 392. The shaft 393 is driven from the drive shaft H6 through cooperating bevel gears 398, 400 and 402, 404, the latter being i'ast upon the shaft i l6. The paper feed and cutof? mechanism i8 is driven from the shaft H8 through a cross shaft 408, bevel gear 440, M2 and bevel gears 454, M6 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The bottom folding mechanism 36 is operated from the cross shaft 403 through a cam M8 and the usual connections indicated generally at 420, reference being had to the Hesser Patent No. 1,020,821, hereinbefore referred to, for a more detailed description of such mechanism. The cam shaft 10, hereinbefor referred to, is driven through cooperating bevel gears 422, 424.

The intermittentl operated spider 54 is driven through a similar Geneva mechanism comprising a driver 42%, fast upon a shaft 428 and a fourpoint Geneva spider 430, the roller 432 carried by the driver cooperating with the slots 434 in the Geneva 238. The mechanism is driven from the shaft H5 through cooperating bevel gears i335, i538 and etc, 442. intermittently operated spider 212 is connected to operate in unison with the spider 54 through the train of gears including gear 4, idler 6 and gear 448. As herein illustrated, the remainmg mechanisms, including the bag closing and heat sealing device Md and the adhesive applying device 330 for the carton flaps, are driven from the cross shaft I which is rotated through bevel gears 450, 452 the latter being fast upon the short shaft 382,

From the above description of the construction and mode of operation of the present unitary packaging machine, it will be observed that.

a lined and filled a simple, practical that the difficulties heretofore experienced in closing the lining while inthe carton are eliminated by performing the closing and sealing operation upon the filled lining before inserting it into the carton.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described. it is to be understood that the different features of the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

, Having thus claimed is: p i. A machine for ing a carton and package may be produced in producing a. package includa closed liner, comprising: a

As herein shown, the

and commercial manner and described the invention, whatis conveyor having a plurality of bag-receiving pockets each adapted to receive an empty linerbag therein and to convey the same through a filling and closing cycle; conveying means operating in timed relation to the bag conveyor for successively positioning a series of open, empty cartons in alignment with a pocket containing a filled and closed'bag; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said bag conveyor and carton conveying means, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging a filled and closed bag and causing the same to move out of said pocket and into the empty carton.

2. A machine for producing a package including a carton and a closed liner, comprising: a conveyor having a plurality of vertical bag-receiving pockets each adapted to receive an empty liner-bag therein and to convey the same through a filling and closing cycle; conveying means operating in timed relation to the bag conveyor for successively positioning a series of open, empty cartons below and in vertical alignment with one of said pockets; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said bag conveyor and carton conveying means and operating in timed relation to both for engaging a filled and closed bag and causing the same to move downwardly out of said one pocket and into the empty carton therebelow.

3. A machine for producing a package including a carton and a closed liner-bag, comprising: a rotatable spider provided with a plurality of vertically disposed bag-receiving pockets adapted to successively receive empty liner-bags therein and to convey the same through a filling and closing cycle; conveyor means operating in timed .relation to said bag conveyor for successively positioning a series of open, empty cartons below and in vertical alignment with a pocket containing a filled and closed bag; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said bag conveyor and carton conveying means, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging a filled and closed bag and causing the same to move downwardly out of said pocket into the empty carton therebelow.

i. A machine for producing a package including a carton and a closed liner bag, comprising: a conveyor having a plurality of bag-receiving pockets each adapted to successively receive empty liner-bags therein and to convey the same through a filling and closing cycle; a rotatable spider for successively positioning a series of open, empty cartons below and in vertical alignment with a pocket containing a filled and closed liner-bag; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said liner-bag conveyor and said rotary spider, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging a closed and filled bag and causing the same to move downwardly out of said pocket into the empty carton therebelow.

5. A machine for producing a package including a carton and a closed liner-bag, comprising: a rotatable spider provided with a plurality of vertically disposed bag-receiving pockets each adapted to successively receive empty liner-bags therein and to convey the same through a filling and closing cycle; a second rotatable spider operating in timed relation with said first-mentioned spider and adapted to successively position a series of open, empty cartons below and in vertical alignment with a pocket of the firstrnentioned rotatable spider containing a filled and closed bag; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said rotatable spiders, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging the closed and filled bag in said pocket and causing the same to move downwardly out of said pocket into the empty carton therebelow.

6. A machine for producing a package including a carton and a closed liner-bag, comprising: a rotatable spider provided with a plurality of bag-receiving pockets adapted to successively re ceive empty liner-bags therein and to convey said liner-bags through a iilling and closing cycle; stationary means arranged concentrically with said rotatable spider for supporting said liner-bags and retaining said liner-bags in said pockets during their movement through said filling and closing cycle; a second rotatable spider operating in timed relation to the firstmentioned rotatable spider for successively feeding open, empty cartons into a position in alignment with a pocket containing a filled and closed liner-bag; and transfer mechanism cooperating with said rotatable spiders, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging a filled and closed liner-bag and moving the same out of said pocket into the empty carton aligned with said pocket.

7. A machine for producing a package including a carton containing a sealed liner, comprising: a conveyor having a plurality of bag-receiving pockets adapted to successively receive empty linerbags therein; means for successively filling said liner bags while supported in said pockets; means for successively closing and sealing the open ends of said filled liner bags while supported in said pockets; conveyor means operating in timed relation to the liner-bag conveyor for successively positioning a series of open, empty car tons below and in vertical alignment with one of said pockets containing a filled and sealed liner bag; and transfer mechanism including a recip rocable member cooperating with said liner-bag conveyor and carton conveying means, and operating in timed relation to both, for engaging the upper end oi a filled and sealed liner-bag and causing the same to move out of said pocket while simultaneously folding over the sealed portion of said liner bag and forcing the same downwardly until the bottom of said liner bag engages the bottom of said empty carton.

8. A machine for producinga package including a carton containing. a sealed liner, comprising: a conveyor provided with a plurality of vertically disposed pockets adapted to successively receive empty liner-bags therein; means for supporting and retaining said liner-bags in said pockets; means for successively filling said linerbags; means for successively closing the opened end of said liner-bags, including heating elements for heat sealing the same: conveyor means operating in timed relation to said bag conveyor for successively positioning a series of open, empty cartons below a pocket containing a closed and sealed liner-bag; guide means for said filled and sealed liner-bag positioned intermediate said bag conveyor and the upper end of said empty carton for guiding said filled and sealed bag into said carton; and transfer mechanism including a plunger for forcing said filled and sealed linerbag out of said pocket, through said guide means, and into said empty carton, said plunger serving to lay down the sealed fold of said linerbag simultaneously with the movement thereof into the empty carton.

STANLEY R. HOWARD. 

